Continuous removal of fission products from molten-salt fueled nuclear reactors
An example for continuous removal of fission products from a molten-salt fueled nuclear reactor enclosed in a reactor containment may include separating actinides from other fission products flowing out of the reactor, returning the separated actinides back to the reactor to be consumed, and removing the other fission products out of the containment while the reactor is operating. In various embodiments, the reactor can be a critical reactor, a subcritical (e.g., accelerator-drive) reactor, or another type of reactor.
1 . A method for continuous removal of fission products from a nuclear reactor enclosed in a reactor containment, the method comprising:
producing a side stream of a molten-salt fuel flowing out of the reactor, the side stream including actinides and other fission products and allowing for continuous access to the fuel within the reactor containment while the reactor is operating;
treating the side stream to isolate the actinides and produce side stream remnants within the reactor containment, the side stream remnants including the other fission products;
injecting the treated side stream including the isolated actinides back into the reactor for power generation and destruction of the isolated actinides in the reactor; and
removing the side stream remnants from the reactor containment continuously while the reactor is operating.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein treating the side stream to isolate the actinides comprises:
volatilizing the fuel in the side stream, and
separating the actinides from the side stream by mass using centrifugation.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein treating the side stream to isolate the actinides comprises:
introducing into the side stream a molten metal to which the actinides migrate;
separating the molten metal with the actinides from the side stream; and
purging the actinides from the molten metal to isolate the actinides.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the molten metal comprises bismuth.
5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the molten metal comprises aluminum.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the reactor is a critical reactor.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is an accelerator-driven subcritical reactor.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the side stream of the molten-salt fuel flowing out of the reactor comprises receiving the side stream through a first conduit directly coupled to the reactor and positioned within reactor containment, and injecting the treated side stream including the isolated actinides back into the reactor comprises injecting the treated side stream into the reactor through a second conduit directly coupled to the reactor and positioned within reactor containment.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the reactor for power generation.